Edge structure for a closure device



m H 5 MW H w T 2 M 0 4 a 5 E W Y B W. A. SMITH EDGE STRUCTURE FOR A CLOSURE DEVICE Filed Aug 8 195 Nov. 6, 1956 EDGE srnucrnnn son A crosonn DEVICE Wesley A. Smith, Ferndale, Mich, assignor to Tilt-A- Door Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application August 8, 1955, Serial No. 526,940

5 Claims. (Cl. 189-46) This invention relates in general to an edge structure for a one piece closure device such as a canopy-type, overhead, garage door, fabricated from sheet material having a plurality of integral, offset channels arranged cross-wise in said panel at spaced intervals for strength and/or ornamentation. For a general illustration of a canopy-type door, reference is made to my Patent No. 2,579,621.

It has become advantageous in recent years to ship light weight, bulky structures in knocked-down condition wherever possible to avoid excessive, if not prohibitive, shipping costs. However, where the structure requires complicated assembly procedures or special assembling equipment, hence skilled assemblers, a relatively large proportion of the total cost to the consumer represents the cost of assembly at the distribution point. Furthermore the consumer may get an inferior product if the complicated assembly operation is not skillfully performed.

Canopy-type garage doors fabricated from light weight material, such as aluminum, are an excellent example of structures wherein freight costs can be materially reduced by shipping the doors knocked-down. 0n the other hand, said doors are in equally good example of structures which will not give satisfactory service unless properly assembled, because of the relatively harsh treatment which they normally receive.

Therefore, it becomes apparent that there is a great need for a garage door structure which can be fabricated from light weight, sheet materials and shipped in knocked-down condition while avoiding or overcoming the above mentioned problems.

Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is the provision of an edge or stile structure for a canopy-type, overhead garage door fabricated from sheet materials, Which is sturdy, attractive and easily assembled, even by unskilled persons.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an edge structure for a garage door, as aforesaid, which can be shipped in a knocked-down condition and thereby reduce the space requirements of such shipment as compared to the assembled structure.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an edge structure for a garage door, as aforesaid, wherein no welding, riveting, flanging or other type of complicated metal working is required at the assembly site for securing the door panels to the stiles.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an edge structure, as aforesaid, having a sliding connection which is substantially weatherproof without additional calking material, such as putty.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an edge structure, as aforesaid, which permits easy, quick mounting of certain auxiliary elements, such as weather strips, without defacing the external appearances of the door.

A further object of this invention is the provision of nited States Patent Patented Nov. 6, 1956 ice an edge structure, as aforesaid, having a stile shaped to increase the strength of the door without increasing the gauge of the metal, as compared to present stiles for the same purpose.

Other objects and purposes of this invention will become apparent to persons acquainted with this type of equipment upon reading the following specification and examining the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation view, partially broken away, of a closure panel embodying the edge structure to which this invention relates.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the line I1-II of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an oblique exploded view of a portion of the structure shown in Figure I.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IVIV of Figure 2.

In meeting the objects and purposes mentioned above as well as others related thereto, I have provided an edge structure for a closure device 19, which structure includes a closure panel 11 and a stile or side member 12 both of which may be fabricated from sheet material. The closure panel 11 is provided with a plurality of integral, substantially parallel offset channels 13 which, in this particular embodiment, extend across said closure panel perpendicular to the opposite edges thereof. The stile 12 is comprised of an elongated edge element 1 having a U-shaped cross-section and an integral side plate 15. One edge of the closure panel 11 is gripped by the edge element 14 while the side plate 15 abuts the adjacent ends of the offset channels 13.

For the purpose of convenience in description, the terms front, back, and derivatives thereof will have reference to the right and left sides respectively of the structure as shown in Figure 2. The terms inner, outer and derivatives thereof will have reference to the leftward and rightward sides respectively of the structure as appearing in Figures 1 and 3.

Detailed construction As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the closure panel 11 may be fabricated from any conventional sheet material, such as aluminum, and, in this particular embodiment, is provided with a plurality of evenly spaced horizontal offset channels 13 which are an integral part of the closure panel 11 and add both strength and ornamentation thereto. The offset channels 13, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, do not extend entirely across the closure panel 11, but are terminated a short distance inwardly of the lateral edges of said closure panel 11. It will be apparent that the exact cross-sectional contour of the channels 13 disclosed herein is not essential to the invention so other cross-sectional shapes may be used if desired or required. However, it is essential that the offset channels 13 terminate before reaching the lateral edges of the closure panel 11 in order to provide the gripping extensions 16 of the closure panel which extend beyond the ends of and between each pair of adjacent channels 13.

The edge element 14 of the stile 12 is provided with outer and inner flanges 17 and 18, respectively, which are substantially parallel. In this particular embodiment, the outer flange 17 is provided with a lengthwise portion 19 adjacent to the inner edge thereof which is offset toward, and normally bears against, the inner flange 13 adjacent to its inner edge 21. The edge element 14 is rolled or otherwise worked so as to place the element under a strain urging the inner edges of said flanges 17 and 18 toward each other. It will be recognized that the olfset portion 19 could alternatively be provided on the inner flange or one both flanges to a lesser extent.

The side plate 15 is integral along its front edge with the inner edge 21 of the rear flange 18 and is preferably,

but not necessarily, perpendicular to said rear flange 18. The side plate 15 may be provided with an'integral L shaped flange 22 (Figures 3 and 4) along its rear edge for purposes of strengthand utility. The stile 12 is preferably, but not necessarily, fabricated froma light weight material such as aluminum. V

When the gripping extensions-16am inserted between the flanges 17 and 18 .as shown in Figure l, a gap 23 remains between each pair of adjacent gripping extensions 16 which is undesirablefrom an appearance standpoint and also permits moisture and other undesirable things to pass into the chamber 24 within the edge element 14. To overcome this, a substantially L-shaped sealing clip 25 (Figures 1, 3 and 4) is provided. Said clip 25 has a gripping flange 26 which fits snugly between adjacent gripping strips 16 and the flanges 17 and 18. Said sealing clip also has a'sealing flange 27 whose lateral edges are contoured to snugly embrace the inside walls of an offset channel 13 when said gripping flange is in position between said flanges '17 and 18. The front flange 17 (Figure 4) extends inwardly slightly further than the rear flange 18 in this particular embodiment. However, this and other details, such as' the spacing between the offset channels 13, may be varied somewhat in the interest of appearances and convenience of fabrication;

As shown in Figure 4, the U-shaped cross-sectional structure of the edge element 14 permits the provision of'key slots 28 in the rear flange 18 which are entirely hidden from view from thefront side of the closure device 19 by the front flange 17. By using bolts 29, the key slots 28 can be conveniently used to mount a variety of auxiliary equipment, such as the weather strip 31, upon the stile 12.

Q Operation It is evident from the above description that the edge structure, to which this invention relates, admits of easy assembly by unskilled persons and that a closure device embodying this construction can be shipped in aknockeddown condition. Specifically, the edge structure of the closure device 10 is assembled by springing the front and rear flanges 17 and 18, respectively, away from each other and then inserting the gripping'strips 16 therebetween, after which saidflanges are released to seize and firmly hold said gripping strips. The gripping flange 26 of the sealing clip 25 is then inserted into the gap 23 between each pair of adjacent gripping strips 16 with the sealing flanges 27 disposed within the channel 13 and extending transverse thereof. The sealing flange provides additional protection against a weather leak at the ends of the channels 13. Furthermore, said sealing flange 27 also improves the appearances of the closure panel at this particular point. Thus, it will be seen that the edge structure when thus very easily assembled is ready for immediate operation.

Although a particular, preferred embodiment of my invention has been described in detail above for illustrative purposes, it will be understood that variations or modifications thereof within the scope of such disclosure are fully contemplated unless specifically stated to the contrary in the appended claims.

' disposed between said first and second flanges, and

I claim:

1. An edge structure for a closure device, comprising: a panel having a plurality of integral, offset channels arranged crosswise of one edge thereof, the ends of said channels adjacent to said one edge beingaligned with, and spaced inwardly from, said one edge; 'an edge element having first and second, connected flanges, portions of said flanges near their free edges being urged toward each other and said one edge of said panel being disposed between said portions; a sideplate integral along one edge with the free edge of saidfirst flange, said plate extending'away from the first flange on the opposite side from the second flange, and said ends of said cha nels being adjacent to said plate;. and a clip having substantially L-shaped portion, one part thereof bein another part thereof extending into an adjacent channel and substantially transverse thereof. 7 V a 2. An edge structure for a closure device, comprising: a panel having a plurality of integral, offset channels arranged crosswise of one edge thereof, the ends of said' channels adjacent to said one edge being aligned with, and spaced inwardly from, said one edge, and said edge. having slots therein adjacent to said ends of said channels; an edge element having a U-shaped cross-section with first and second flanges, portions of said flanges near their free edges being urged against each other; a side plate integral along one edge with the free edge of said first flange, said plate extending away from the first flange on the opposite side from the second flange, and said ends of said channels being adjacent to said plate when said one. edge of saidpanel is disposed between said flanges; and an L-shaped clip having one flange disposed Withineach of said slots, its other flange extending into the adjacent channel and substantially transverse thereof.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein said closure device is a garage door, said panel lies substantially within a single plane and said plate is perpendicular'to said plane.

.4. An edge structure for a closure'device comprising: a'panel having a plurality of integral, .oifset channels 1 arranged crosswise of one, edge thereof; coplanar strips integral with said-edge of said panel and extending beyond the corresponding, aligned. ends of said channels; an elongated edge element having 'a U -shaped' cross-section with front and rear flanges, said front flange having an offset portion at its free edge extending toward and urged firmly against the rear flange adjacent to its free edge; an elongated side plate integral along one edge with the free edge of said rear flange, said plate extending away from said rear flange on the opposite side'from said front flange, and the ends of said channels being against said plate when said strips are disposed between said oifset portion and said rear flange; and an L-shaped clip having one flange held within said edge element between each pair of said strips, its other flange extending snugly into the adjacent, corresponding channel substantially transverse thereof. 7 a

5. The structure of claim 4 wherein the strips are coextensive and lie within the plan of the panel, and the plate is perpendicular to said plane.

No references cited. 

